Breakout sessions
The Breakout sessions are workshop style sessions, with a focus on active participation and tangible takeaways.
Morning and afternoon session
Inclusive Recruitment: Creating bias-free, inclusive job listings
Led by Dr Athina Frantzana, WISE Training and Delivery Manager
This interactive session will delve into the critical role of inclusive recruitment practices in fostering equitable hiring environments. We will cover why inclusion matters – from ensuring legal compliance to improving workplace culture and boosting performance.
Participants will explore how to craft inclusive job descriptions and person specifications, using appropriate language and focusing on essential skills over unnecessary qualifications. The session will also address the pervasive biases that can emerge within the recruitment cycle, and introduce effective strategies to combat them.
Ideal for HR professionals and hiring managers, this session will provide the tools needed to create job listings that attract diverse talent while promoting fairness and equity throughout the recruitment process.
Closing the Confidence Gap: How to Build an Inclusive Workforce
Led by members of the WISE Young Professionals Board
The Confidence Gap refers to women generally feeling less confident in themselves and their abilities than men. This results in fewer chances at success, feelings of imposter syndrome, and playing down their achievements. By taking action to build an inclusive workforce, we can address some of the issues that can lead to low confidence.
In this interactive session we will explore the confidence gap and its link to creating a more inclusive workforce to ensure everyone feels valued and can reach their full potential.
Lois Stahler, Process Engineer, AstraZeneca
Lois is a member of the WISE Young Professionals Board with a specific interest in how education systems influence gender inequity in STEM. Alongside her role on the board, Lois works as a Process Engineer at AstraZeneca, optimizing pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and supporting the development of new drugs.
Hannah Walker, Engineer and Project Manager, Element
Hannah is an engineer and project manager with a background in consultancy, specialising in data engineering, digital twin development and computational modelling. She is new to the WISE Young Professional’s Board this year, and supports the running of the ‘Unfiltered STEM’ podcast which addresses typical experiences of women in STEM roles, while providing advice and resources for listeners.
Afternoon sessions
Seen, Heard, Connected: Empowering women and allies to shape inclusive digital communities
Session leader: Jaz Brace, Digital Marketing and Social Lead, The IET
‘Seen, Heard, Connected: Empowering women and allies to shape inclusive digital communities’ is an interactive session designed to help you grow your visibility, build an authentic personal brand, and create an inclusive, supportive networks online.
Through sharing practical tools, live exercises, and real-world examples, this session will help you learn how to self-promote confidently, amplify underrepresented voices, and use social media to foster a more inclusive digital culture, where everyone feels seen, heard, and connected.
Jazmine Brace MCIM is an experienced digital marketing strategist and the Digital Marketing and Social Lead at The IET.
She collaborates across teams to deliver integrated, data-driven campaigns that combine creativity and strategic insight to boost engagement, enhance brand visibility, and optimise performance across digital channels.
Jazmine is passionate about audience-first communications and champions the creation of content that is both inclusive and accessible.
Play With Purpose: Engaging Girls in STEM Through Ethics, Energy, and Games
Session Leader: Miguel Trenkel Lopez, Megawatt
An interactive workshop where participants will learn about delivering energy education to young people through ethical debates, gamification, and project-based learning. Use Megawatt to build a balanced UK energy grid while navigating real-world trade-offs. Learn how playful, purposeful tools engage girls in STEM by connecting science to social impact and encouraging dialogue.